Your saying about your intake going higher and higher was what prompted me to start the Nal - I went for years and years having 2 drinks a night which for a lot of folk, would be just fine - but they did start going up - and I knew the writing was on the wall - you are doing really well I think as it is so early for you yet! Your intake might go up a bit after the honeymoon period - do not let that get you down - it happens to most of us. This is not a quick fix and does take time, patience and faith - hang in there - and keep following the golden rule !

hugs, Maggie x

Thanks Maggie! I know I have to be patient, but I hate the feeling of being hung over. I think my training for a race is really helping keep my numbers down. Knowing I have to get up and run Saturday and Sunday certainly makes me think twice about getting too out of control. Hopefully I can maintain that after the race is over. When I can sleep in, or have time on my hands I tend to drink more. I will have to keep finding things to keep me busy on the weekends!

Week 4 in the books. Upped my dose to 25 mg with no increase in side effects. The major thing I notice is getting tired and being very irritable, even the next day. I plan to stick with 25 mg for at least another week to see how it goes.

Week 5 down. I have to say, my desire to drink is pretty much gone. This Saturday, I just really wanted to drink. I wanted to feel the way I used to. I had three glasses of wine and a beer over the course of many hours. The kick, the "high" is gone. I don't really know why I almost force myself to drink, thinking I will feel the way I used to. Can't complain because it is working very well. Definitely strange new territory. Hopefully, the honeymoon won't end.

JanCan,

I can understand by what you mean about still drinking and not getting the reward. I think with me it is just plain habit. It looks like things are really working for you.

Keep up the good work,

Jaba

All sounds very good for you, JanCan. It is hard to break those habits, isn't it? Just keep following the Golden Rule and you will get there. Hugs from Newlife

Jancan - really good to hear that things are working so well for you. yes, now you need to learn how to function and live without AL - it will leave a huge void in your life I am sure !

Hugs, Maggie x

I haven't checked in for awhile. A few things have happened in the past month. One thing that happened that I know was a mistake and should not have is that I drank without taking Nal for a week. I don't know exactly why I did it but I do know it was a mistake. However, that mistake has taught me a lesson and stengthened my resolve.

One big thing I noticed is that when I take Nal before drinking, the next day I have no desire to drink again. When I drink without taking the Nal, then I want to continue the next day to "feel better" and take the edge off of a hangover. I have been absing 6 days a week for the past two weeks to help my training for a half marathon. I only drink on Saturday. However, my binging behavior has come back. I had 9 drinks last Saturday even after taking Nal and felt terrible Sunday. I think my big focus now is to figure out what is driving the binging behavior. Why do I do it? If I can figure that out, then I can figure out what to do to stop it. I also binge eat, so I need to figure out what I can do to fill the void that is not destructive.

My goal this week is to abs 6 days again, and to be mindful Saturday. One key is to not drink wine and to delay drinking. I can suck down a whole bottle of wine in no time. If I stick to light beer, it is much more easier to avoid those high numbers.

JanCan,

Did you ever increase your dose to 50 mg?

I would have to say you are chasing that "ah" moment from drinking and your brain is refusing to accept it is never going to come. For me it took me 3 nal overs to realize I didn't want or need to drink that much, for those nal overs are the pits. I have/had a hard time accepting that my reptilian booze brain wins over my logic side, but until you have extinct what the booze brain is craving you are always going to over drink. It takes time, and patience for that extinction to happen.

I can tell you what I do and maybe it might help you.

Drink a lot of water, or something before you start drinking. You have an hour to take away that thirst, and drink something you enjoy or just to hydrate you.

Measure out your wine and drink from a smaller glass.

Sip do not glup.

Try to drink only when sitting down and when you can focus on those first sips. I use to fill my glass, drink half of it and fill it up again (my glass would hold 10 oz of wine)before I even sat down, my brain never even registered how much I was drinking (like eating popcorn at the movies, do you realize how much you have eaten).

Try to make that glass of wine to last at least 30 minutes.

Slow down your drinking any way possible. I have a bottle of water sitting next to me at all times and if I have a sip of wine I will try to have at least 3 drinks of water in between. This will slow down your drinking as well as keep you hydrated.

When you go for that next glass, ask yourself, do I really want this or am I doing this out of habit. You might say yes I want it, but one day the answer will be no (at least it was for me).

Never have that bottle near you, put it in another room (easy access makes for over indulgence, like being on a diet).

I know that most people do not agree with this, but I set limits to how much I could drink. I had a limit of no more than 1/2 of bottle of wine until I got a nal. over with that much, and then I gave myself a limit to under 3 glasses. I sometimes have to stop myself from having more; however, I have not had a nal. over since (knock on wood).

This is just a thought but maybe you drinking only on the weekends is what causing your reaction to over drink. I am not a binge drinker so maybe someone else can chime in here, but I know that before I was ready to have a string of af days I would over drink every time I had more than one af day (something that has to do with al. deprivation I think).

If I think of anything else I will post it. I hate seeing anyone struggle, and I know how hard this can be esp. with those nal. overs.

You are a very disciplined person and I think you are going to be just fine as long as you take that pill and wait an hour. The rest is up to when your brain is finally going to admit defeat and realize that you have control!

Good luck with your training,

Jaba

Jaba,
I have not increased to 50 mg yet, but I think perhaps it's time. i have been afraid to do so because I don't want negative side effects.

You are right. I am still chasing that elusive buzz, that euphoria I used to get. It is tough to give up and I am definitely fighting that.

The reason I am absing 6 days a week is for my training, and also to keep my numbers down. The more I drink, the more I want to drink. A logical person would ask why I don't just outright quit and that is a good point but I am not there yet. This week I will take the 50 and see what happens. I would like to shoot for 5 or less this week, and eventually get to 3 or less on a given day. I need to really concentrate on slowing down so I will focus on that. Thanks so much for your input.